In at least one aspect of the present disclosure, at least one embodiment relates to techniques for performing oilfield operations. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to techniques for performing stimulation operations, such as perforating, injecting, and/or fracturing, a subterranean formation having at least one reservoir therein.
In order to facilitate the recovery of hydrocarbons from oil and gas wells, the subterranean formations surrounding such wells can be stimulated by hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing may be used to create cracks in subsurface formations to allow oil or gas to move toward the well. A formation is fractured by introducing a specially engineered fluid (referred to as “fracturing fluid”, “treatment fluid”, or “fracturing slurry” herein) at high pressure and high flow rates into the formation through one or more wellbores.
Hydraulic fractures may extend away from the wellbore hundreds of feet in opposing directions according to the natural stresses within the formation. Under certain circumstances, they may form a complex fracture network. Complex fracture networks may include induced hydraulic fractures and natural fractures, which may or may not intersect, along multiple azimuths, in multiple planes and directions, and in multiple regions.
Patterns of hydraulic fractures created by the fracturing stimulation may be complex and may form a fracture network as indicated by a distribution of associated microseismic events. Complex hydraulic fracture networks have been developed to represent the created hydraulic fractures. Examples of fracture models and fracture simulators are provided in U.S. Patent/Application Nos. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,101,447, 7,363,162, 7,788,074, 8,412,500, 20120179444, 20080133186, 20100138196, 20100250215, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,776,235, 8,584,755, and 8,066,068, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Fracturing fluids may be injected into the wellbore in a manner that provides the desired fractures. The fracturing fluids may include proppants to prop fractures open and facilitate fluid flow to the wellbore. Examples of fracturing and/or proppant techniques are provided in U.S. Patent/Application Nos. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,776,235, 8,066,068, 8,490,700, 8,584,755, 7,581,590, and 7,451,812, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.